No, mudras are not gang signs, nor do they symbolize signals of the illuminati. There are 22 chakras in the hands along with meridians and nadis. Mudras transfer life force energy through the body as the energy balances the hemispheres of the brain and its components. It’s an alchemical process. It’s all elemental.
The physical body is made of the elements of the earth. Without the electromagnetic life-force energy, we’re just a corpse. The chakras in our fingers and palms contain the pranic energy, chi, or ka that allows us to transfer that energy to particular parts of the body.
Thumb = Fire
Index finger = Air
Middle finger = Ether
Ring finger = Earth
Pinky finger = Water
The ancients knew energy and how to manipulate it to achieve certain objectives. Some call it magic, but that word is taboo in our society. The laws of energy work as directed. A more acceptable term for consciously managing energy is “Mudra” which means “seal” in Sanskrit. In western cultures we “seal” the deal, or “mark” the occasion with a handshake. In eastern cultures a bow or other “gestures” are made.
Although, most of us are familiar with hand gestures, mudras may be performed with the eyes, or the whole body for that matter. Just as the right eye represents Ra or Sol energy, and the left, Khonsu or Luna energy. We acknowledge the left hand as the receiving hand because Luna energy is feminine. The right hand is masculine and is the offering hand which is the projected energy. So when we combine these elements with electromagnetic forces, we move energy from place to place.
As we move this life-force through the chakras, nadis and meridians, we make things happen in the body to include healing. There are several mudras that are familiar to us and can be used to change frequencies in the body. For instance, in meditation we often use the Chin mudra where we make contact between the thumb (fire), and index finger (air). In the evening we turn the palms down to the Gyan mudra. We then place the hands on the knees, which is another special point of contact for the flow of powerful energy.
As the Buddha sat beneath the bodhi tree until enlightenment, he placed his right palm over the left with his thumbs touching for deep meditation. This mudra is called the Dhyan. In western cultures we recognize prayer hands, or the Anjali mudra as acknowledgement of the divine. Similarly the mudras Namaskar and Namaste are used for greeting in Hindu.
Sadhguru of Adiyogi and Dr. Hansji Yogendra of the Yoga Institute, teach us about the power of mudras on their respective social media channels. They are beneficial in calming the mind, as well as a host of other benefits, from controlling obesity to managing cholesterol levels. Mudras balance energy throughout the subtle body, hormones and organs.
The architecture and construction of ancient monuments such as tekhenu (obelisks) and mer (pyramids) generate their own energy signatures. The Great Pyramid Khufu, actually has eight faces rather than four. This simple aspect makes a huge difference in the transference of energy. Cathedrals are built with this sacred geometry, architecture and construction. Combine geometric shapes with mudras, and these gestures harmonize the energy field in and around the structure.
The ancient Kemetians also used bio-geometry as taught by Dr. Ibrahim Karim. Phd, Karim studied Rene A. Schwaller De Lubicz, Egyptologist, amongst others who interpreted many hand gestures on the relics in ancient Kemet. Karim studied the use of mudras, in addition to the geometric symbols, e.g., the Ankh. His most recent work “BioGeometry Signatures” was published in 2016. According to Yogapedia, mudras may be used in conjunction with different breathing techniques or pranayama to stimulate the flow of balanced prana throughout the subtle body (Hughes, 2019). Whatever is generated in the subtle body has to resonate throughout the gross or physical body.
As we clap our hands, tap our feet and move our bodies in dance, we are transferring energy in and around our physical space. Some dance rituals are performed with the intent to hypnotize. A hypnotic state is not meant to put us to sleep, but to focus attention to something suggestive. We see mudras practiced in African, and Asian cultures most often, although hand gestures are practiced in most cultures to some extent. Tyra Kleen was a European woman who traveled around the world to study and photograph different cultural dances of Indonesia, China and other Asian cultures. Buddhists and Hindu priests along with temple dancers made bogus representations at first, until they became more familiar with her work and intentions (Houseal, 2020). The following picture is a depiction of Kleen’s work.
Mudras are often linked to secret societies and often intended as code for certain messages. If you don’t know the code, then you don’t get the message. However, today there are hand gestures intended for any number of messages. The question is, which ones are meant for enlightenment, involution, and the evolution of our species? If we become familiar with them, we can create magic on our own path to enlightenment.
If we do not care to learn the magic of mudras, it is like having a lack of interest in yoga, and that’s okay. They are simply tools for our tool box of consciousness and healing. Next time you lose your train of thought, try lightly toughing the tips of your fingers together and see if your thought process returns. They are not necessary for survival. They are not exclusive to secret societies, Jay Z, nor the Illuminati. So why not rub your hands together to generate a lil friction, and place your hands on any part of the body to see if you don’t suddenly feel your own energy? Use that energy to connect with certain parts of the body, and you’ve just generated your own magic, and realized your own power.
Sheila T. Zimmerman ’22
References
Houseal, Joseph. (8, February 2020). “Tyra Kleen: Mudra”.
Hughes, Aimee. 25, June 2019. “The Power of Mudras”. Yogapedia. https://www.yogapedia.com/the-power-of-mudras/2/9117
Images. Pintrest.com
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